Chelsea Clinton: ‘No One’s Mother Is Currently President, But Someday Someone’s Will Be’

Chelsea Clinton gave a rousing speech that functioned in part as a tribute to her mother, Hillary Clinton, during Variety’s Power of Women event on Friday.

“No one’s mother is currently president, but someday, someone’s will be,” Chelsea Clinton concluded her speech, which began with the audience giving her a standing ovation as she took the stage.

“I’m particularly proud and grateful for the example that my mother has always set,” she said, recalling a lesson she learned from her grandmother that seemed particularly pertinent: “It’s always better to get caught trying than to have never tried at all.”

Chelsea Clinton was honored at Friday’s event for her work with Alliance for a Healthier Generation, an organization working to end childhood obesity. “If you care about equity or economic justice or gender equality,” Clinton said, “you have to care about childhood obesity.”

She gave a shoutout to Carmen Farina, the chancellor of New York City public schools. “She and the New York City public school district have been leading to prove what is possible,” Clinton said.

Clinton acknowledged the event’s fellow honorees — among them Blake Lively, Jessica Chastain, Gayle King and Audra McDonald — but gave a special ‘thank you’ to Shari Redstone, who was recognized for her work with Legal Services Corp. “I just want to say a particular thank you to Shari because, as some of you may or may not know, my mother was the chair of the legal services corporation in the 1980’s,” Clinton said.

But in the end she saw common ground in all the causes represented at the event — they were all seeking to provide for or protect children. “Understanding what a healthy meal choice is should not be a luxury in 2017 in the United States,” she said.

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